Consumer profiling of Scotch whisky

Analysis of the flavor of aged spirits made from sweet potato and rice by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Flavor patterns of sweet potato spirits (SPS) made from sul-deot manufactured by sweet potato showed an increasing tendency for aging from 64 to 128 weeks. When the SPS was blended with spirits made from sul-deot manufactured by rice in a 7:3 ratio, showing an increase for aging from 16 to 60 weeks, using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with solid-phase microextration. The main compounds showing increasing tendency of the SPS and blended spirits (BS) were iso-amyl alcohol, n-propanol. Especially, ethyl caprylate, and ethyl acetate increased in SPS. The results were cross-checked by an electronic nose. For the results of SPS in the flavor pattern, a decrease was noted by main ion fragments. For the BS, a decrease was noted. These cross-checked results were useful for controlling quality of aging spirits, especially SPS. Based on these results, it was considered that further experiments are needed to identify key compounds for accurate correlation analysis.

The effect of panel selection and training on external preference mapping using a low number of samples / Efecto de la selección y entrenamiento de los catadores sobre la cartografía externa de preferencias, utilizando un número reducido de muestras

External preference mapping (PREFMAP) relates the preference data of a group of consumers to a multi-dimensional representation of the stimuli. This representation can be obtained from descriptive sensory data generated by a panel. Four vegetable oil samples were analysed. Three different stimulus spaces were obtained from generalized Procrustes analysis (GPA) of descrip tive sensory data generated by three panels (12 assessors): a non-selected panel, a selected panel and the latter after training. The preference data of each consumer was regressed against the product co-ordinates obtained from each stimulus space using the vector model. The interpreta tion of stimulus space was easier with selected assessors, but in an overall sense the three stim ulus spaces were similar. However, the slight differences between the different sensory spaces produced important differences in the PREFMAP interpretation.

Public concerns in the United Kingdom about general and specific applications of genetic engineering: risk, benefit, and ethics

The repertory grid method was used to determine what terminology respondents use to distinguish between different applications of genetic engineering drawn from food- related, agricultural, and medical applications. Respondents were asked to react to fifteen applications phrased in general terms, and results compared with a second study where fifteen more specific applications were used as stimuli. Both sets of data were submitted to generalized Procrustes analysis. Applications associated with animals or human genetic material were described as causing ethical concern, being unnatural, harmful, and dangerous. Those involving plants or microorganisms were described as beneficial, progressive, and necessary. The results were validated in survey research, which indicated that general applications ofgenetic engineering were perceived as either positive or negative, whereas specific applications were more highly differentiated in perceptual terms. The results imply that the public debate about genetic engineering must take due account of the complexity of public concerns.

What determines trust in information about food-related risks? Underlying psychological constructs

Trust in risk information about food related-hazards may be an important determinant of public reactions to risk information. One of the central questions addressed by the risk communication literature is why some individuals and organizations are trusted as sources of risk information and others are not. Industry and government often lack public trust, whereas other sources (for example, consumer organizations, the quality media, medical doctors) are highly trusted. Problematically, previous surveys and questionnaire studies have utilized questions generated by the investigators themselves to assess public perceptions of trust in different sources. Furthermore, no account of the hazard domain was made. In the first study reported here, semistructured interviewing was used to elicit underpinning constructs determining trust and distrust in different sources providing food-related risk information (n = 35). In the second study, the repertory grid method was used to elicit the terminology that respondents use to distinguish between different potential food-related information sources (n = 35), the data being submitted to generalised Procrustes analysis. The results of the two studies were combined and validated in survey research (n = 888) where factor analysis indicated that knowledge in itself does not lead to trust, but that trusted sources are seen to be characterised by multiple positive attributes. Contrary to previous research, complete freedom does not lead to trust-rather sources which possess moderate accountability are seen to be the most trusted.